The thing that is most ironic about when John Elway retired was that he spent almost the entirety of his career in need of a running game that would relieve the pressure of having to do everything himself. As soon as he was gone, the Broncos would see success running the ball unlike the NFL had ever seen up until then… and since.
Denver’s first 1,000-yard running back was the Franchise himself, Floyd Little, in 1971. 3 years later, Otis Armstrong became the second Bronco to surpass the 1,000-yard milestone. Armstrong would repeat the feat in 1976. Sammy Winder would become the 3rd running back to do it in 1984. Bobby Humphrey had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 1989 & 1990 becoming the 4th to ever do it in Broncos franchise history. Then in 1991, Gaston Green would become the 5th (assuming you don’t count Humphrey twice). In the Broncos 30+ year history at that time, the sporadic nature of running backs to bust out 1,000-yard seasons was kind of the norm, as it is for pretty much every other team. It could happen, but it was nothing you should set your watch to.
That all changed in 1995 when Terrell Davis ripped off 4-straight 1,000-yard seasons. While Terrell Davis’ Hall of Fame pedigree should never be in doubt (did I stutter?), what came after is incredibly significant in the history of the Denver Broncos franchise. In 1999, Olandis Gary picked up where the injured Terrell Davis left off. Then in 2000, Mike Anderson took the torch. In 2002, Clinton Portis was drafted by the Broncos and he enjoyed back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons. 2004 saw the emergence of Reuben Droughns in the Broncos backfield. Mike Anderson eclipsed the benchmark in 2005, but it didn’t stop there that year. Tatum Bell came within 80 yards of joining Anderson in a magical season that culminated in an AFC Championship run. Don’t worry though, Bell would get his 1,000 in 2006. With the exception of 2001, the Broncos had 1,000-yard rushers every year for over a decade.
It’s incredible to think that for half a generation, the Broncos were guaranteed to have a stud in the backfield who could carry the ball. It’s equally incredible that it’s not talked about more. Among all those running backs who put up over 10,000 yards during that decade of dominance, Terrell Davis is the only one hall of famer.
Or rather, the only hall of famer that carried the ball. Clearly, Denver had something special going on and it wasn’t entirely attributable to the running back. Great backs need to run behind a great line and, it is no coincidence that the lines these men ran behind were the best in Broncos history. Gary Zimmerman is the only other hall of famer from this era and it was because he was a such a badass in the trenches that Terrell Davis could begin to realize his hall of fame potential.
It also helped that head coach Mike Shanahan, running backs coach Bobby Turner, and offensive line coach Alex Gibbs were all in Denver during the same time working together to create this incredibly productive time in Broncos history. Here was a team of coaches who were greater than the sum of their parts. That greatness radiated onto those offenses, having a similar affect up and down the board.
So, to whom do you attribute the decade of run-game dominance? The players? The line? The coaches? Or was it a perfect storm that culminated into a level of success we, as NFL fans (never mind just the Broncos), may never see again? Now, here’s the real question: How do you capture and publicly honor this era?